The Future of Consumerist

Over the last twelve years, Consumerist has been a steadfast proponent and voice on behalf of consumers, from exposing shady practices by secretive cable companies to pushing for action against dodgy payday lenders. Now, we’re joining forces with Consumer Reports, our parent organization, to cultivate the next generation of consumer advocacy.

Stay tuned as Consumerist’s current and future content finds its home as a part of the Consumer Reports brand. In the meantime, you can access existing Consumerist content below, and we encourage you to visit Consumer Reports to read the latest consumer news.

For travelers whose main concern about the TSA’s full-body scanners is the potential of having their naked form displayed or downloaded onto some screener’s thumb drive, this may be good news. The agency announced today that it has begun installing software that displays objects hidden beneath passengers’ clothes but not show detailed images of their nude bodies.

Instead of displaying images of the passenger being screened, the software shows a generic human form — not unlike what you’d see on a restroom door — with indications of where the hidden object(s) are located on the traveler.

This is the same software we reported on back in February, when the TSA began testing it at airports in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

“This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at checkpoints,” TSA Administrator John Pistole said.

For now, the software will only be going into the TSA’s 200 or so millimeter wave scanners. The agency will begin testing the upgrade for backscatter scanners in the fall.